San Diego vs Philadelphia Cost of Living

San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0Philadelphia (United States) · Overall index 69.8

Summary

  • Overall, Philadelphia is 13% cheaper than San Diego.
  • Rent in Philadelphia is 32% cheaper than in San Diego.
  • Transport in Philadelphia is 15% cheaper than in San Diego.
ItemSan DiegoPhiladelphiaDiff
Rent-32%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,906$1,792-38%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,560$1,341-14%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$5,348$3,174-41%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$3,541$2,384-33%
Groceries-6%
Milk (1L)$1.29$1.290%
White bread (500g)$3.77$3.87+3%
Rice (1kg)$4.26$4.06-5%
Eggs (12)$4.41$4.69+6%
Local cheese (1kg)$14.8$11.8-20%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$12.7$10.1-20%
Beef round (1kg)$19.1$18.6-3%
Apples (1kg)$5.14$5.150%
Bananas (1kg)$1.82$1.93+6%
Oranges (1kg)$3.98$4.39+10%
Tomatoes (1kg)$5.15$4.45-14%
Potatoes (1kg)$3.07$2.56-17%
Onions (1kg)$2.92$2.4-18%
Lettuce (1 head)$2.36$2.53+7%
Water (1.5L bottle)$2.61$2.2-16%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$15.1$14.5-4%
Transport-15%
Public transport, one-way ticket$2.68$1.99-26%
Public transport, monthly pass$122$96-21%
Taxi, base fare$3.68$3.28-11%
Taxi, per km$1.86$1.42-24%
Gasoline (1L)$0.87$0.86-1%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$26,442$24,387-8%
Dining out-5%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$22.6$20.9-8%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$107$110+3%
Fast food combo meal$11.9$10.1-15%
Cappuccino$5.18$4.76-8%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$2.16$2.19+1%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$5.99$6.57+10%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$7.37$7.12-3%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$1.87$1.65-12%
Telecom-2%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$63.4$51.4-19%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$55.3$64.6+17%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.31$0.310%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$13.3$13.1-2%
Utilities & household-6%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$153$147-4%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.2$0.19-5%
Tap water (1m³)$4.02$4.65+16%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.46$1.27-13%
Waste collection (monthly)$20.8$18.1-13%
Fitness club (monthly)$79.6$71-11%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$15.3$14.4-6%
Men's haircut$27.1$28.5+5%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$26.6$23.9-10%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$2,070$1,805-13%

3,065 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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